Rodney Greene, 66, wants everyone to know he had a good time on his recent trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Greene, who is mentally disabled and is losing his sight, loves animals. After he was profiled in the Tampa Bay Times Holiday Hopes series in December, more than 100 readers sent money to cover his dream trip to see the animals at the Orlando park.

Greene went last month with eight friends from the MacDonald Training Center in Plant City, where Greene spends his weekdays.

He didn't ride any rides, he said, preferring to keep his feet on the ground. Except for the train.

"I rode the train twice, I did," he said. And he saw hippos and giraffes.

Greene, who also answers to "Mr. Greene Jeans," grew up in Hillsborough County but had never gone to Disney World. Nor had he ever stayed in a hotel.

He and his friends stayed overnight Friday and Saturday. His bed was very comfortable, he said. In the park, he had a good breakfast of french toast with honey, and he also ate a Cuban sandwich.

The adventurers rode back in a limousine, another gift from a reader. Greene called it "an overgrown automobile."

Was it comfy?

"You ain't kidding," he said.

Elisabeth Parker can be reached at eparker@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3431.